A second twist has emerged within hours regarding the death of a foreign national found dead in a parking area.
The Police have announced that the young man was killed by police gunfire.
Specifically, a related statement reads:
“Regarding the investigation into the case of the 24-year-old foreign national, found dead in an open area in Strovolos on the evening of 6 January 2025, we confirm that it is linked to the incident in the Potamia area on the same day, during which shots were fired by police officers attempting to stop and arrest suspects. It has been confirmed that the deceased man was injured by a police service weapon.”
Also read: Buffer Zone: Police officers injured in gunfire and chase incident
It is worth noting that on 6 January 2025, while members of the Anti-Poaching Unit were conducting a motorised patrol in the Potamia area, they noticed three vehicles moving through the buffer zone.
Officers attempted to stop these vehicles when one of the drivers accelerated and drove towards an officer who had exited the police vehicle to stop them.
The officer used their service pistol, aiming at the car’s tyres. However, the driver of that vehicle, as well as the second vehicle, managed to escape into the buffer zone.
Subsequently, the officer signalled the third vehicle’s driver to stop. However, this driver also accelerated, driving towards the officer.
The officer managed to re-enter the police vehicle, resulting in the suspect’s car colliding with the front of the police vehicle. Shots were fired at the tyres of this vehicle as well, but the driver also managed to escape into the buffer zone.
On the same day, Monday, 6 January 2025, at 9:15 PM, the Police received a report from a citizen regarding a deceased individual in an open area in Nicosia.
Police officers and an ambulance were dispatched to the scene. It was confirmed that the man was deceased, and his body was transferred to the mortuary at Nicosia General Hospital.
The deceased was identified as a 24-year-old foreign national, though his identity cannot be disclosed to the public.
A forensic pathologist was called to the scene and conducted an initial examination.
On Friday, 10 January 2025, a post-mortem examination confirmed that the 24-year-old’s death resulted from internal bleeding caused by a bullet wound.